Abortion-rights advocates rally at Capitol

Wearing pink shirts and hoisting “I Vote Pro-Choice” signs, more than 250 activists gathered at the Capitol today to support pro-choice legislation and funding for family planning.

Most were there to support House Bill 2148, the so-called Reproductive Parity Act, which would require health-insurance plans to include abortion coverage. It’s taking its third swing through the Legislature after Senate Health Care Committee members refused a vote in 2013. State Rep. Eileen Cody, D-West Seattle, is prime sponsor.

He spoke at today’s rally, calling on Majority Coalition Caucus members to pass — or at least vote on — Senate Bill 6359. “It’s a choice, not just for the women in Washington state. It’s a choice [for lawmakers] to do the right thing,” he said.

The rally was a joint effort between Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and NARAL Pro-Choice Washington.

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Politics Northwest is the go-to blog for politics in our region. The blog explores national, state and local political news and issues. Reporters from Washington, D.C., to Seattle City Hall to the state capital in Olympia contribute. Editors are Richard Wagoner and Beth Kaiman.